
34
LETTER TO THE HEBREWS.
is never claimed that it can bear the sense of sin-
offering in the New Testament, except in 2 Cor. 5:
21,
and Heb. 9: 28. And we are very confident
that it does not in either of these texts. In 2 Cor.
5:
21
the contrast and the force are measurably lost
by so rendering it. " He hath made him to be sin
for us, who [himself] knew no. sin." Our iniquity
was laid upon him; he was bruised for our sakes--
in our stead. He bore our sin, and suffered as if
he had actually been the sinner. The Scripture
doctrine of substitution is entirely too strong and
clear-to admit of this text being changed into sin-
offering. In Hebrews 9 there is presented a series
of events, mostly in contrast with the things of the
earthly service, each of which occurs without be-
ing repeated. He offered one sacrifice,' he offered
it but once; he entered once into the heavenly sanct-
uary. Man dies once (therefore there is but one
probationary life); and after this one death, the
judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear sin;
and he will once more (a second time) come, with-
out sin. He was once offered to bear sin; he bore
it on the cross; he bears our judgment—the iniquity
of his priesthood—before the throne. As a priest
he has continually taken sins, except from those
who choose to retain them. But when he comes
again, he will be separated from sin; he will
bear sin no more. As it reads, it signifies that a
his second coming his priesthood, his act -of sin- •
bearing, is forever ended.
The difference is evident and material. He
might come without a sin-offering, he might not
renew his sacrifice, and yet not make an end of his
priestly service. He has made but .one offering in
more than 1,85o years, and his priesthood has con-
tinued all these centuries by virtue of that one offer-
ing. And it might continue indefinitely, in the